Venkaiah Naidu to inaugurate first international Kala Mela in New Delhi tomorrow

The Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma will also grace the occasion.

Lalit Kala Akademi, the premier institution for the promotion of Art and Culture is organizing an International Kala Mela (Arts Festival) wherein artists and groups can showcase their art works from 4th to 18th February from 12pm to 8pm daily, at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts,New Delhi (IGNCA).

The inauguration will be followed by Folk Dance by Karunadasa Olaboduwa Dance Troupe, Srilanka; ‘Sargam’ Kathak Recital by Pandit Harish Gangani’s Team, India.

During the Kala Mela different art workshops and activities like Visual Art Film Festival, Pottery/Pattachitra/Paper Mache workshops, Best from waste workshop, Musical performances, Dance Dramas, Violin making workshop by Sveceny, Czechia, Artist Gup Shup Point, Nukkad Natak, and  Live performance. International performances like Violin by Nuno Flores, Portugal; The Troth – Usne Kaha Tha A Story of Love and sacrifice in World War I, by Akademi South Asian Dance, UK; Violin by Jaroslav Sveceny Czechia; Yakshangana by Devika Rao, UK; Paino by Nobert Kale, Hungary and Yaa Devi by Devika Dance Theatre, UK will be taking place for the artists and art lovers.

This is for the first time that the Akademi has planned the International Kala Mela at such a large scale.

It is going to prove a boon to especially those artists who cannot afford to exhibit their works of art in the Art Galleries.

With a firm commitment to the art fraternity, the Kala Mela will be a great delight to observe the paradigms of the contemporary nuances of the modernistic trends in art. All in all it is intended to be first of its kind and a great milestone event.

More than 800 artists from all across the country are participating in the event. Many Embassies and Cultural Centres are participating for making this festival an International success. Some of the countries taking part in the Mela are China, Venezuela, Peru, Portugal, Srilanka, Poland, Tunisia, Mexico, Bangladesh, Trinidad, Tobago, Fiji, France, Papua New Guinea, Czechia, UK, Spain and Brazil. There are around 325 stalls for Indian artists and organizations including International representations.

The International Kala Mela is coming at a time when there is a perceptible requirement in the art market for a wide-ranging, global platform for Indian art.

The central objective of Kala Mela is to focus on direct interaction between the artist and the connoisseur and also educating and raising awareness about art, which has been the mandate of Lalit Kala Akademi.

This comprehensive outreach shall include the participation of National, International level Artists/ Art Critics of repute from all over the Globe.